Did You Know Absinthe Is ...

• Not poisonous, and never was?• Not hallucinogenic, and never was?• Legal in the USA since the 1960s?• Not just a novelty? There are fine absinthes, just like fine wine, whisky, and cognac. Read more here:

Absinthe Evaluation Tutorial

Do you know how to tell a great absinthe from a so-so absinthe? What does one look for, or demand, in a glass of absinthe? Just as with fine wine, fine absinthe has a whole language and system for evaluation and tasting.

Being a blanche, it's perfectly clear. No errors, particles, or colours. The louche is very attractive. Slow to startm pretty contrails swirl with increasing speed. Separate tiers remain distinct for a long time and then quickly blend together. The louched drink is thick, perhaps a bit too much so. It's a nice enough white with some grey shades but nothing special. The aroma has a lot of wormwood. Anise is also quite present and tastes somewhat like star anise. Fennel and hyssop round it out. Wormwood asserts itself in the flavour from the beginning, followed by tangy anise and then fennel. Slightly minty and medicinal with a medium, wormwood-dominated finish. The mouth-feel is kinda of creamy but leaves something to be desired. It's a solid blanche with a unique character that is difficult to pinpoint, but I find it enjoyable.

The second Duplais

Being a blanche, it's perfectly clear. No errors, particles, or colours. The louche is very attractive. Slow to startm pretty contrails swirl with increasing speed. Separate tiers remain distinct for a long time and then quickly blend together. The louched drink is thick, perhaps a bit too much so. It's a nice enough white with some grey shades but nothing special. The aroma has a lot of wormwood. Anise is also quite present and tastes somewhat like star anise. Fennel and hyssop round it out. Wormwood asserts itself in the flavour from the beginning, followed by tangy anise and then fennel. Slightly minty and medicinal with a medium, wormwood-dominated finish. The mouth-feel is kinda of creamy but leaves something to be desired. It's a solid blanche with a unique character that is difficult to pinpoint, but I find it enjoyable.

Clear as water, this blanche made from a grape base shows it from the first sniff of the open bottle. Like all the absinthes from Matter-LuginbÃ¼hl, it's best to open and re-cork it for a week before fully enjoying its flavours.

The louche is the best I've seen in a blanche so far, with swirling milky trails that dance around the glass as the drink turns to a translucent alabaster. The transition is smooth but not entirely seamless and I'm only docking the louche rating because the final drink is missing that fabled pearlescent tone.

Caressing the tongue lightly, anise, fennel and wormwood are very well balanced and the mouth feel is just creamy enough to remain refreshing. When taken with sugar it has a lovely caramel note but is best with a 4:1 ratio of water. The taste doesn't linger for very long and is a tad on the dry side, but this makes the high alcohol percentage almost unnoticeable.

More complex than KÃ¼bler but just as refreshing, not as warm and rounded as La Ptite Douce but not far behind, Duplais Blanche is a perfect match for those who like their blanches sweet and dry.

Sweet and dry

Clear as water, this blanche made from a grape base shows it from the first sniff of the open bottle. Like all the absinthes from Matter-LuginbÃ¼hl, it's best to open and re-cork it for a week before fully enjoying its flavours.

The louche is the best I've seen in a blanche so far, with swirling milky trails that dance around the glass as the drink turns to a translucent alabaster. The transition is smooth but not entirely seamless and I'm only docking the louche rating because the final drink is missing that fabled pearlescent tone.

Caressing the tongue lightly, anise, fennel and wormwood are very well balanced and the mouth feel is just creamy enough to remain refreshing. When taken with sugar it has a lovely caramel note but is best with a 4:1 ratio of water. The taste doesn't linger for very long and is a tad on the dry side, but this makes the high alcohol percentage almost unnoticeable.

More complex than KÃ¼bler but just as refreshing, not as warm and rounded as La Ptite Douce but not far behind, Duplais Blanche is a perfect match for those who like their blanches sweet and dry.